Wanna Bet?
by Elvendreams
Summary: 100 song writing challenge. In which Loki is convinced to change his mind by an average human... or is she? Rayne escapes from the clutches of the trickster... or so she thinks. Sneaking away from the protection of SHEILD, she becomes friends with the god. What happens when Earth's greatest enemy becomes its most troublesome ally?
1. Thriller

**A/N: **I plan on doing a 100 song challenge, as you can most likely tell, so some chapters (such as this one) may be quite short. I'm fairly sure that, eventually, they'll get longer. I also plan on uploading two or three at a time, depending on the length of the chapter and how much I have written. The schedule may change, depending on school work or the like. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as (if not more than) I enjoy writing it. Another thing: I might use mythology along with the marvel universe, so be warned.

I don't own Michael Jackson's song. that is completely his. or something. And I obviously don't own the Avengers.

* * *

Rules:

**-Rule 1: **Get your MP3 player or anything type of music player that has shuffle on it.  
-**Rule 2: **Write down the name and artist and keep doing this until you get a list of 100 songs  
-**Rule 3: **You can write either a 100 chapter story, 100 one-shots, or a combination of the two. It doesn't matter how long they are.  
-**Rule 4: **You HAVE to use all 100 songs. They don't have to be in the order you wrote the list, You just have to use all the songs.

* * *

**Song:** Thriller, Michael Jackson

**Lyrics:**

_It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark_

_Under the moonlight, you see a sight that almost stops your heart_

_You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it__  
__You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes__  
__You're paralyzed_

* * *

Once Loki had left her alone in the room, Rayne immediately began to search hurriedly through the filing cabinets and computer. She downloaded some of the more interesting files onto her flash drive so that she could look at them later. She planned to escape, and she was going to take any research and plans that she could when she left. She was most concerned about what her research was being used for. When she found the file, she was horrified. People dying, the world ending... _that _was what her work was going towards?

She was so shocked that she didn't hear him return or approach her. She slowly turned when she heard his footsteps, looking up at his blue eyes, her face contorting with rage and disbelief.

"How could you?" she whispered. "How could you not tell me?"


	2. Earth Song

**AN:** so. I uploaded the first chapter just now, so nothing much has happened... Hope people like it so far. First few chapters will be a bit chopped up. I kind of wrote them all at once and then tried to split them up to fit the outline I had for which songs to use... Anyway, happy reading!

I still don't own Michael Jackson's songs. or The Avengers.

* * *

**Song:** Earth Song, Michael Jackson

**Lyrics:**

What about sunrise?

What about rain?

What about all the things

That you said we were to gain?

* * *

"If I had told you, you wouldn't have done as I asked, would you? And if you didn't do as I asked, I would have killed you. This is a much better outcome, don't you think?" He made it sound as if it was a no-brainer.

"People have died. How can that be good in any way?"

"People would have died either way. Though I would have almost regretted killing you, I think. Such a great mind, for a race full of imbeciles."

"If my mind is so great, how come I can't seem to figure out why you would want to destroy this planet? I don't see any valid reason for a genocide, especially when the human race has done nothing to wrong you, as far as I'm aware." Rayne knew he wasn't likely to spill the beans about his plans, but if she stalled long enough, she figured, he'd let his guard down at some point and she could have the advantage for her escape.

"That is not for you to know. You need only know what I order you to do." And her plan grew wings and flew off into the sunset, where it could expect to die a horrible and bloody death.


	3. Independence Day

**AN: **I figured that I'd let you know that I'll be on vacation for about a week, then I'll try to upload more. The end scene is horrible, but sadly necessary. Read, enjoy, and review please!

I don't own this song, guys. I definitely don't own the Avengers.

* * *

**Song: **Independence Day, Martina McBride

**Lyrics:**

Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing

Let the whole world know that today is the day of reckoning

Let the weak be strong

Let the right be wrong

Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay,

It's Independence Day.

* * *

Loki then proceeded to point his scepter at her, but, knowing what it could do, Rayne avoided his advances and carefully made her way to the door. As fast as she could, Rayne opened the door just enough to slip out, then she took off, running towards the nearest exit.

She didn't stop running until she knew that she wasn't being followed. The only problem was... she was completely and utterly lost. She began to walk slowly in the nearly deserted pier of New York City. She knew that she needed to find her way back to normal city streets. If nothing else, it would be harder to spot her. At best, she could find some help.

After a couple hours of walking aimlessly, she decided to try to talk to the military. They couldn't be too hard to find and they might be able to help her. She instead found the next best thing: Police. She was just telling them about how she had been threatened with a weapon by a strange man who called himself Loki when a hand came down on her shoulder and she screamed.

"I'm extremely sorry, ma'am, but did you say the man was called Loki?" Rayne turned to see quite the handsome man looking at her with concern.

"Yes, sir." She said quietly.

"I should probably introduce myself. I'm Captain Steve Rodgers." He smiled warmly, then turned to the policemen, who were discussing the current situation. "I can get this, sirs. She's a friend of the family. I think my cousin want a little too far with his prank." The men just walked away, eyeing "Captain Steve Rodgers".

"I'm sorry, I know you just said your name, but who exactly are you?" She was suspicious that it might be a trap.

"I can't exactly tell you that at this exact moment, but I can promise that I can get you somewhere safe." Something in the way he said it made her believe him.

"Okay, and I'm Rayne."

* * *

After a short conversation with Col. Fury, a large, one-eyed black man, about how she worked for Loki and what his plans were, they tried to figure out how to make her useful. Because Rayne had a good memory and a gift for electronics, Rayne was put on the tech side of intelligence, though in her free time (what little of it she had) she helped in the science department. She made friends there, especially with a James Maxwell. They joked around a lot, and without her knowing, he developed feelings for her, ones that she most certainly didn't return.


	4. Wild Wild West

**AN:** I probably will only be uploading this one tonight. Sorry. It took me a couple hours to type this up (mostly because I kept forgetting to get off Tumblr awhile and get to work) and I really need to go to sleep... I'll try to upload another tomorrow, okay? Sorry for the shortness and the horrible fight scene, I've never really been good at that (never tried). And to let you know why I'll be taking forever to upload chapters: I write out the idea for song lyrics and such, then I write the chapter on paper, then I type it up, and then I upload. I have up to ch 14 pre-written (with lyrics and such) and up to ch 7 completely written on paper. So now I'll stop bothering you and let you read! (and don't forget to review. Thanks to all who have added this to their alerts, I really appreciate the support!)

**DISCLAIMER: **Do you really think I own this? Either way, I definitely do not own Marvel, the Avengers, Loki, Will Smith's song... or anything other than this little work of fiction and my OCs.

* * *

**Song: **Wild Wild West, Will Smith

**Lyrics: **To any outlaw tryin to draw, thinkin you're bad,  
Any draw on West best with a pen and a pad,  
Don't even think about it, six gun, weighin a ton,  
10 paces and turn, just for fun, son.

* * *

Rayne had been ordered to learn some form of self-defense, in case she ended up needing it, so she ended up training with some of the other recruits in her free time. They had all been training steadily for a few weeks, and today they were staging a mock battle to see how they had progressed. They had pistols loaded with fake bullets and protective vests, but nothing else was given to them outright. They would be able to find alternate weapons on the field, from throwing daggers, to experimental weapons, to swords and spears that shocked an opponent, and many more.

The battle had started and Rayne was holding her own when she was ambushed by three of the men from the other team. She pointed her pistol at the largest one, and the world seemed to pause for a moment before everything was a whirl of movement. At some point during the tangle of limbs, Rayne let out a hiss, her left wrist unable to move as it was most likely broken. She lost all feeling in her left hand but the sharp throb of pain, and she watched, more than felt, her hand release her gun, her only weapon, letting it fall into the waist-high grass where she could see it no longer.

Even with her left hand being useless, Rayne relieved one of the men of his weapon, a sort of electrified staff, but threw it to the ground, she being unable to use it one-handed. Though she was a decent fighter, she was slowly overwhelmed by the mens strength, but just as she was about to black out, a sudden energy burned from her core, and the men were knocked back. She looked down at herself in shock and saw a blade of pure, condensed wind in her right hand. She wasn't the best with a sword, but her instincts took over, and the blade seemed to make allowances for her lack of skill, changing shape and size to fulfill her will.

The man Rayne had disarmed earlier had regained his weapon and shot an electric blast at her, but in an instant, her blade was gone, her right hand extended, absorbing the electric power and reflecting it at all three men, then infusing the leftover into her wind-blade.

Her attackers on the ground, unconscious, she realized that the battle was coming to an end. She looked down at her hand, the blade gone, and dropped to her knees, the fight finally catching up to her. Rayne's pure exhaustion dragging her into unconsciousness.

After a great deal of rest and a report to Col. Fury on her new condition, Rayne was assigned more training, this time to control her powers. She knew she had to hone this new skill, instinct alone could only get you so far.


	5. Wanna be startin' somethin'

**AN: **I guess I lied. I might as well upload this, though it is extremely short. that's mostly because the continuation of this idea fit better with another song, so I cut the chapter short right here and started on the next chapter. Again, sorry for the shortness. It'll get better later on, I promise! (more like hope, but either way.) Thank you everyone for your support, and if you like (or dislike) it enough, please feel free to tell me all your thoughts on it. (I really love talking.)

I OWN NOTHING. And no, I still don't own Michael Jackson's song. And really, why would I write fanfiction about the Avengers if I owned it and stuff...

* * *

**Song: **Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', Michael Jackson

**Lyrics: **I said you wanna be startin' somethin',

You got to be startin' somethin'

Said you wanna be startin' somethin'

You got to be startin' somethin'

* * *

Rayne stumbled slightly, exhaustion almost making her fall as she stumbled towards her dorm after a particularly rigorous training session. Her muscles ached and she could feel all the bruises forming where her trainers had gotten through her defenses, hitting her with hands, staffs, and more when she left an opening or didn't use the right movement to combat their blow.

She sighed, putting forth the utmost effort to keep form collapsing before she made it to her room, but then a small rustling noise made her senses prick with alertness. Rayne slowed, listening. She heard a step on the stone behind her and spun around to face where the noise came from, her muscles screaming at her in protest and her blade forming automatically in her hand.

"Does the kitten think her dull claws threatening?" she heard a familiar voice say as Loki revealed himself, his spell of invisibility melting away.


	6. Beat It

**AN: **So after this I may not update for a while... I'm going to actually write more of the story. So instead of once or twice a day, It may be more like once or twice a week for updates. I'm sorry. I'll try to keep it regular. I'm up for suggestions on what should happen... I mean really, what all am I going to do with 100 songs? It doesn't really have to relate to this story, either, I'll post a separate little one-shot or something. I'll shut up now so that you can read.**  
**

And I don't own Michael Jackson's song, or the Avengers.

* * *

**Song: **Beat it, Michael Jackson

**Lyrics:**

They told him don't you ever come around here

Don't wanna see your face you better disappear

The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear

So beat it, just beat it

* * *

"What do you want here, Loki?" Rayne demanded, trying to sound menacing.

"I assure you, I mean you no harm." Loki said, his expression that of mock offense.

"Says the god of lies." She mumbled, but he continued on as if she had never said anything.

"I only wanted to see how my dear pet was being trained." He smirked as her lips bent into a frown and her eyes narrowed.

"You need to leave." She meant for it to sound confident and threatening, but the waver in her voice betrayed her. Her knees wobbled and her surroundings lost some focus.

"Really, they've worked you too hard." he said sarcastically. "You'd be better off if you worked for me. I could do more for you than these dolts. All you'd have to do is quietly continue your research." He raised an eyebrow, almost as if to challenge her.

"I'd rather not have to fight you right now, Loki, so I'll ask you one last time to leave." Her vision was being invaded with black spots and the world seemed to ripple like disturbed water. She blinked it away, and when her eyesight returned to normal, Loki was gone. Rayne relaxed her guard slightly and stumbled to her room, idly thinking about SHIELD's gap in security as she collapsed on her bed.

**AN: **So what do you think? Was Loki too out of character? Is this too much dialogue and not enough action? I'm sorry if it is. I'm trying to make it better, I promise! Any advice is much appreciated!


	7. Down in Mississippi and Up to No Good

**AN:** sorry for the wait! I think this is the longest chapter so far... not sure. It's still pretty short though, so I'll start typing up the next chapter ASAP. Anyway, tell me what you think... I think it's pretty boring, but it sets things up for later chapters. oh, yeah, and my progress (for writing): I've gotten an outline and lyrics up to ch 14, I've figured out what I want to do a bit later on in the story (but don't have lyrics), and I have written out up to ch 11. I'm in the middle of writing ch 12. I'm sorry that I'm taking so long to get these up. to tell you the truth, I just really hate typing.

Happy reading!

I don't own any songs, and I don't own the Avengers.

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**Song: **Down in Mississippi (and Up to No Good), Sugarland

**Lyrics:**

So now if anyone asks, and not that they would,

I'll be down in Mississippi and up to no good.

* * *

After collapsing from exhaustion one too many times, Rayne was granted a one-week vacation. She had started to rent an apartment and was taking groceries to her kitchen when her way was blocked by a familiar figure.

"So now you follow me home?" she asked, slightly annoyed by the intrusion.

"I don't see a problem with that." Loki teased.

"Just hurry up and leave. I have company coming over and I don't think they'd take kindly to eating dinner with the enemy of the human race." To be honest, she wasn't sure how long she'd be able to talk to him without going insane, and she really did not want to be caught with the God of Mischief in her home.

"It sounds so unpleasant when you say it." He replied, joking around like he was offended.

"Because it is unpleasant. An extremely dangerous, distracting, and somewhat annoying criminal harassing me to the point where he's sitting in my kitchen after stalking me for most of the day, and there's nothing I can do about it." She deadpanned, completely un-enthused. "What do you want today, anyway?"

"I'm heartbroken, your words wound me so." Sarcasm dripped from his voice. "I want what I always want... for you to join me."

"And why do you want that so desperately?" She asked this every time, it was almost like a routine.

"You already know that. Your genius, talents... You're vital to my plans." He sounded quite bored.

"Glad to know. Now, if you can find your way to the door..."

"What, is Mr. Maxwell more interesting than me? I'm offended." He joked, making his way out of the room.

"Just leave." She sighed, then noticed that he already had.

* * *

As she ate dinner with James, Rayne felt herself becoming uncomfortable with the situation. The two didn't seem to be on the same page, so to say. He seemed to think she was interested in him, though she couldn't fathom why, and she regarded him as nothing more than an acquaintance. She was trying to push her way through a polite dinner without rudely stating her views on the subject when James got a convenient call back to base.

As soon as James said his awkward good-byes and left, Loki was back, lounging on her sofa. She welcomed the change, and, though she would never admit it, she didn't mind his company all that much. They still made snarky comments at each other, but they made small talk and eventually got into a full-blown discussion about the differences between Asgard, Earth, and the people that resided in the two realms.

There were touchy subjects, she learned over the week, such as the Avengers, Thor, Loki's friends, past, plans, etc. He either changed the subject or left when they were brought up, depending on the question asked or joke made. One of the worst things she asked was about what had happened while she had worked for him, for she remembered almost nothing from that time. She had grown used to their nightly conversations, and was almost disappointed by the absence (though she didn't want to think so) when he abruptly left, staying away for a few days.


	8. The Answer's in the Question

**AN: **I got my power back! let me just tell you, I am sooo happy. My internet wasn't working for a while... the power kept turning on and off, so my microwave doesn't work anymore and the clothes dryer doesn't work as well. one of my family members actually lost all of their appliances, though, so I feel a bit lucky. Anyway, I'm going to be typing this up quite a bit more now. I have up to chapter 15 fully written, up to chapter 18 planned, and just about 3 ideas of some chapters I can do, but they wouldn't contribute to the plot much. This is going to be a shorter chapter, sorry, but I'll probably be uploading a bit faster now. (tell me if I've made any spelling or grammar errors, please, I was kind of rushing through typing this up.)

I still don't own anything.

* * *

**Song:** The Answer's in the Question, Bob Seger

**Lyrics:**

The answer's in the question:

Will you leave this all behind?

* * *

Rayne knew she shouldn't even be thinking about it, but her mind kept drifting to the idea of working for Loki, though she tried to distract herself from it.

Why would she, anyway? Betray her friends, endanger the world... for what? Loki had nothing to offer her that she couldn't get from SHIELD, right? She couldn't understand why she even entertained such an idiotic thought. She refused to admit what was blatantly clear. She did enjoy his company, and she didn't mind their wonderful chats when he visited, but that was all. His company was a guilty pleasure, something she enjoyed, but that she knew was wrong. Something she should stop, but that she couldn't help but let continue. He provided entertainment when she would otherwise be bored and alone. He helped her. On many occasions, she probably would've gone insane with anger or loneliness, but Loki visited her, always making her forget her worries.

But it had to stop. There was no other way. She couldn't risk the temptation, couldn't risk her friends' lives and the safety of the world for her entertainment. But the very thought of ending their friendship, of becoming nothing more than enemies... the thought of having to face him in battle, possibly harming him... it made her chest ache and her throat tighten. She would simply have to maintain her careful balance on her self-made tightrope. If she fell to one side, she lost her family, friends, and quite possibly the entire world; if she fell to the other side, she lost her one true friend and, no doubt, her sanity.

Rayne had no way of knowing that her balancing act was about to end, not by her decision, but by the actions of another. She wouldn't fall of a mistake in her footing; the tightrope would be cut.


	9. Alejandro

**AN: **Hey, guess what guys? Another chapter. I'm hoping I'll get more ideas by the time I get chapter 18 all written and typed up, but if I don't, I might ask you for ideas. (I'll feel like a fail if I do, but I'm determined to not drop this.)

I don't own anything.

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**Song: **Alejandro, Lady GaGa

**Lyrics:**

Don't call my name, don't call my name,

Alejandro,

I'm not your babe, I'm not your babe,

Fernando

* * *

After returning to work at SHIELD, Rayne was met with quite the unpleasant surprise. She walked into one of the labs in the science division, having finished all her work for that moment, when she was promptly dragged away to a separate office by none other than her awkward acquaintance, James. She opened her mouth, about to ask what in the hell he thought he was doing, dragging her around like some child's toy, when she was prematurely interrupted.

"Would you like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?" The words tumbled from his mouth as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking like a nervous teen as he awaited her response. She was half temped to sarcastically tell him how stupid it was to forcibly drag someone to an unknown location and then ask them out on a date, but she settled for a simple "No."

"But why?" he whined, irritated and disappointed by her rejection.

Not wanting to be whined at, her patience with this man already low and dwindling at a rapid pace, Rayne replied, "I simply have other plans."

"And what would they be?" He responded in the most rude and prying tone of voice she thought he could manage.

"That, sir, is none of your business." Rayne said, irritated beyond belief that he had the gall to ask her that, as if he had the right. She stalked off in a horrible mood, leaving him to gape and think as she left.

* * *

((James POV))

How dare she speak to him that way! Whether Rayne liked it or not, he _would _find out what her plans were. He found it suspicious that she never made plan with anyone before, had no friends outside of work, and suddenly she has plans, on the exact day that he wanted to have dinner with her. And that reaction. She must be doing something wrong if she was that touchy on the subject. He would find out. He would follow her and find out what secret she was hiding.


	10. The Thunder Rolls

**AN: **This is probably the last chapter that I'll upload at the moment. I might get around to uploading more later this week, so look for more soon! If I made any spelling or grammar errors, please tell me. And that's all I have to say, so... Enjoy!

I still don't own anything.

* * *

**Song: **The Thunder Rolls, Garth Brooks

**Lyrics:**

And the lightnin' flashes in her eyes  
And he knows that she knows  
And the thunder rolls  
And the thunder rolls

She runs back down the hallway  
To the bedroom door  
She reaches for the pistol  
Kept in the dresser drawer  
Tells the lady in the mirror  
He won't do this again  
Cause tonight will be the last time  
She'll wonder where he's been

* * *

She had narrowly avoided the bumbling idiot at work today and was making a quick dinner as she got ready. 'Got ready for what?' you ask? Why she got ready for a walk through a nearby park.

Rayne had gotten used to making enough food for two people at dinner. It had simply become a habit. And, in an attempt to make Loki stop harassing her and tempting her to join his cause, she decided that she should provide a change of scenery, as a sort of treat. Besides, the park was a much nicer place to talk than her messy little apartment.

After a quiet dinner, the only conversation being the usual "Hello, how are you?"s, Rayne led Loki out to the park, relishing the fresh, tree-scented air. They talked about the idiots she dealt with at work, and Rayne somehow got him to open up about Thor and his childhood.

"Thor was loved and admired by many for his strength and bravery, but most people didn't see the humor in my tricks, and generally looked down on my use of magic instead of more traditional weapons. Asgardians in general value strength over cleverness and careful planning. Magic was viewed as something for cowards and women, with few exceptions. It was quite infuriating." Loki was saying, relieving years of frustration, but something else had gotten Rayne's attention at the moment. She saw a shadow of a figure in the trees near the pair, but acted as if there was nothing there, continuing the conversation, not wanting to alert Loki until she was sure there was real danger.

But the figure soon stepped out of the trees, and Rayne recognized James, his face contorted by rage, his gun held at the ready. Normally, she wouldn't have worried about a gun being pointed at either one of them, but she knew something that concerned her. James had recently started working on a new hobby that he was fairly decent at: making his own ammo. He was overly fond of the exploding variety, and she wasn't sure how well she (or Loki, though she wouldn't admit that she cared) would hold up to a close range explosion. She didn't have much time to contemplate the situation, though, as James aimed his pistol at Loki and squeezed the trigger.

Rayne's body reacted before her mind could, and she moved in the way of the bullet and the blast, squeaking out a quick (and slightly high-pitched) "No!" She threw her arms out in front of her, palms facing away from her, as the bullet exploded. Judging by the size, she knew she couldn't absorb all of its energy, but she tried. As more of the energy melted into her body, she dropped to one knee, then both, beads of sweat slowly rolling down her face. She let out a short yell of pain as she neared her energy limit. She looked over her shoulder just long enough to order Loki to run, leave. She reached and exceeded her limit and her body began to shut down. In a last-ditch effort to remain awake and conscious, she shot a beam of pure energy in a random direction, but that didn't work. Rayne collapsed in the dirt as the explosion dissipated.


	11. Man In the Mirror

**AN:** Not much to say here... I'll probably update again later in the week, but for right now, this is what you get. If you notice any spelling or grammar problems, or if something is hard to understand, please tell me! And with that done and over with... Enjoy!

I own nothing.

* * *

**Song: **Man in the Mirror, Michael Jackson

**Lyrics:**

I'm starting with the man in the mirror

I'm asking him to change his ways

And no message could've been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at your self then make a change

* * *

**((Loki POV))**

Loki didn't exactly leave, as she told him to, he decided to instead become invisible. He would watch her to make sure she was safe and taken care of. He watched with disgust as a shocked Agent Maxwell picked Rayne up, his anger at the imbecilic mortal growing. He was infuriated by the nerve of the man, to even think of coming near Rayne after what he had done, Loki wanted to kill him right then and there, but he knew it was necessary to let him take her to get medical treatment. It's not like Loki himself could just stroll in with a dying Agent in his arms and expect everyone to be fine with it. It was much smarter to let a SHIELD agent take a SHIELD agent to SHIELD's headquarters for healing.

Loki stalked the two as Agent Maxwell carefully rushed to the SHIELD building, then watched as the doctors and nurses found a way to treat her injuries, and waited until they left the room. Seeing her lying on the bed, weak and unconscious, made his heart ache. He sat down on the edge of the bed, not totally understanding why she did something so foolish; he was a god, the weapons of a mere mortal would hardly have done any damage, if at all. Without noticing, he started voicing his thoughts, telling her everything that was running through his mind.

Why did she willingly meet with him if it put her in danger? Why would she risk her life for her enemy? She had stopped her comrade from capturing the one who wished to tear her world to pieces, and for what purpose? He saw no sense in her decisions. Surely her government would try to get information from her, by whatever means possible, none of them pleasant. Why would she risk her life unnecessarily?

**((Third person omniscient))**

Unbeknownst to him, Rayne had heard every word clearly. When he finally looked over and saw her awake, she answered him, surprising him with her words: "Because I love you." He was too shocked for words as she fell back asleep; he just stared at her, wide-eyed, and she feared that he didn't feel the same.

**((Back to Loki POV))**

He was astounded at this revelation. He had longed to hear those words for so long. Then it dawned on him that he needed to change, to become worthy of this kind and loving person. As she slipped back into sleep, he got up and strode towards the door, fading into invisibility as he went. He needed to find his oaf of a brother.

Loki had no issues finding Thor. He just had to wait for his brother to be alone. When that finally happened, Loki revealed himself. Of course, Thor was surprised, but he wasted no time in beginning one of his infamous "Brother-come-home" speeches. Loki quickly interrupted Thor, not even wanting to hear the first sentence of it.

"Let me speak first, Thor, for I have a favor to ask." Loki said. He didn't wait for a response as he continued. "I require the assistance of your little 'team'."

"What for, brother?" Thor was confused, as usual, but Loki could tell that he was overjoyed at the chance to help his "fallen" brother.

"I need to... change. But those who would assist me in destroying Midgard wouldn't hesitate to torture and kill me when they heard of my betrayal. So I propose this: I help you, and you help me. I give you all the information that you need, and you keep me out of harm's way, help me hide. I'll stay here, of course, to help your cause however I can."

"Fine. I'll need to speak with my friends." Thor agreed willingly, but Loki suspected that it would be more difficult to convince the rest of the group.

"One last thing. Agent Rayne Ashford must not know of this." He did not elaborate as to why, just went with Thor to speak with Col. Fury and The Avengers.


	12. Longneck Bottle

**AN: **Hey guys! I was going to say something totally awesome, but then this weird little creepy spider kept running around the drumstool my laptop was sitting on. The little creep tried to climb inside of my laptop so many times. But then my sister killed it. Normally she would've just moved it, but it was so fast and stuff that she had no choice. So now that that little ordeal is over, progress report time! Pre-written: to ch 18, Written: done with ch 17 and almost done with 18, Typed: this is the most recent chapter that is typed up. I have a couple ideas for what might happen next, but most of those are one- or two-chapter events. Help. Hopefully, by the time I'm done typing all of these chapters up, I'll have gotten a new idea. If not, there may be a really long wait between updates. sorry guys.

About this chapter: Sorry it's so short, all of these look sooo much longer in my notebook... I changed around the end, I initially had a little metaphor in there, but it didn't sound very good. I don't like any of the possible endings for this chapter, so I just chose the best out of what I had. I hope you enjoy this little bit of story!

I still own nothing.

* * *

**Song: **Longneck Bottle, Garth Brooks

**Lyrics: **

Hey barroom mirror on the wall  
Go stare at someone else  
Don't show the world the fool I am  
Just keep it to yourself

Longneck bottle  
Let go of my hand

* * *

Rayne woke up for the first time since her and Loki's "conversation" and was suddenly aware of the soreness and pain that permeated her body. _I won't be doing that again anytime soon, _she thought. She tried to sit up, but stopped when her body screamed protests and sent a shock of excruciating pain through her. She groaned when she realised that she would be staying in bed for at least a few more days.

-/-/-/-/-

When she could finally walk decently, her first trip off-base was to the local bar. Over the past few weeks she had grown more and more depressed, and she felt the need to get drunk and talk to people with other issues that wouldn't care about hers. Little did she know that the person she would end up talking to would be none other than Tony Stark. She ended up spilling her whole story, being sober enough to change Loki's name to "Kyle" and leave out all the magic and the almost-getting-killed bit. But stark already knew. James had told them everything.

"So what now?" She asked, "What sort of trouble am I in?"

"Nothing much. You'll probably be monitored for a while, though I can't tell you why. Fury's orders and all. Not that I would normally listen, but right now its actually smart to do so." It was odd, but, seeing as how it was Fury's orders, she knew that asking questions wouldn't get her very far.

"So is there anything else I should expect?" Rayne finally decided to ask.

"You might get a chance to speak with the guy that shot you. I think that's it, or as much of it as I can tell you. Just go back to work as usual, it'll all work out eventually."

And so she did. She went back to work as if nothing had happened. But her mind was fragile. It was only a matter of time before she broke.


	13. I Hate Myself For Losing You

**AN: **Hello! Not much to say... Progress is pretty much the same as last time... I still don't have ideas... I promise, I'm working on it! One good thing: things will get interesting soon! I'm off to sleep, so I'll probably update later. Enjoy!

I don't own the Avengers or any songs that I use.

* * *

**Song: **I Hate Myself For Losing You, Kelly Clarkson

**Lyrics:**

Now I dread each day

Knowing that I can't be saved

From the loneliness

Of living without you

* * *

The day had come. Rayne was led down the quiet hallway to the room where she would speak with James. The walls of the hallway were white, and the sounds of her and her escort's footsteps echoed in the otherwise silent corridor. She didn't even know what she would say. What do you say to the idiotic man that messed with your life? More than anything, she was confused. She didn't feel angry, just more uncaring than anything else. She simply didn't care.

She was ushered into the room where James already sat. It was simple, like the hallway, having only two chairs and a table, all bolted to the floor. Rayne sat across from James, and for a while they just looked at each other. Then James spoke. "Weren't you going to ask me some questions?"

"I'm having issues figuring out what I'm supposed to say to the man that almost killed me." Rayne could feel herself start to get angry.

"The way I see it, You jumped in front of a bullet to save our enemy." He looked and sounded smug.

"How do you know that I wasn't trying to get information from him? You can't just go around shooting people willy-nilly just because you think they're doing something wrong."

"But you weren't getting information from him, were you? No, You've become a traitor, and traitors deserve to be shot." He glared at her as he spoke.

"How am I a traitor? How do you know what I was doing, or what my motives were?" Rayne did her best to sound calm and collected, but her anger was growing and she was becoming nervous and worried.

"You have fallen for his tricks. You trust him, you talk to him. And that's not even the best part, is it? You _love _him, don't you? And think of what one could do with that information..." He started out smug, spitting out the word "love" like it was some disease, then speaking in a low and threatening voice. If he told anyone, if anyone knew... she would have nothing. She would lose her job, the one important thing left in her life.

"If you think you can blackmail me, you are sadly mistaken. You've already done enough damage, I won't let you destroy my only tie to some sort of life. You've taken my friend, my only _real _friend, who happens to be the man I love, away from me, and I'll be damned if I let you take my job, too. He's never coming back, and the only constant that I have, the most important thing in my life now, is my job." She had stood up and started pacing, but now Rayne just slumped in the chair, her elbow resting on her knee, her head resting in that hand, as she realized what she had just said, what she had just admitted.

James was led out of the room, and Rayne collected herself and returned to work. She felt empty as she completed her duties and went home, going straight to bed, a single tear sliding down her cheek.


	14. Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad

**AN: **We're getting to the good part! Good news: I've made progress! Chapters written: 17, almost 18 (like, seriously, there's only a few more sentences, then that chapter's done). Chapters typed: this is the most recent. Chapters planned: 22. I may change those plans, though... I'm being indecisive about where the story should go from a certain point... Anyway, this chapter is by far the longest! I hope you enjoy it, and if you would be kind enough to review... I would love you forever, in a totally non-creepy way. (oh, yeah, in case you can't guess, the little bit in Italics is a dream. *smiley face*)

And I still don't own anything.

* * *

**Song: **Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad, Def Leppard

**Lyrics:**

Have you ever needed someone so bad

Have you ever wanted someone

Who you just couldn't have

Did you ever try so hard

That your world just fell apart

Have you ever needed someone so bad

* * *

Rayne was following her routine just like she always did: wake up, go to work, go home, sleep, repeat; with almost no variations. So as she walked into a convenience store for no apparent reason, she confused herself. She had picked up groceries the day before, so there was really no reason for her to be there. She didn't generally act on impulses these days, mostly because she didn't get them. But, to satisfy her mind, she picked up a bottle of water and went to stand in the short line.

She couldn't help but glance repeatedly at the man standing next to her. His posture, that look in his eyes... She could swear she had never seen him before, but he seemed so familiar and she couldn't figure out why. She acted on impulse, yet again, and spoke to him.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but could I ask you something?" she asked politely.

"I don't see why not." the way he spoke, his accent, was odd. It was almost irritating, she couldn't place where the accent was from.

"Do I know you from somewhere? You seem familiar."

"No, I don't believe we've met. Now, if you'll excuse me..." He responded, sounding hurried and nervous suddenly as he stepped up to the counter. He then paid for his things and left.

As Rayne walked home, she tried to figure out why the man seemed so familiar. He looked like a mix of her old Algebra teacher and a man her father worked with when she was a kid. The thing that threw her off was his attitude and speech. She had met someone just like like that once, but no matter how hard she thought, the answer evaded her.

She had arrived home, and though she was frustrated and anxious to find out who the man reminded her of, she knew she was too tired. Rather than falling asleep on the couch after a long think, she decided to go to sleep voluntarily, in her bed.

* * *

_Rayne opened her eyes, and all she saw was a gray, almost white, wall of fog. She stood slowly, not trusting her misty surroundings. She started to wander around, tying to figure out why she was there, when she glimpsed a silhouette of someone through the fog. She walked forward, compelled to see who was waiting across the expanse of gray._

_ Suddenly, there was an open spot in the fog, a clearing, and standing there, facing away from __her, was a man in green and black, attire she knew. Then he turned to look at her, his green eyes vibrant and not a hair out of place. It was as if a door opened in her mind, and all the memories she had subconsciously blocked came flooding back to the forefront of her mind._

* * *

She woke up crying. There was a reason why she had blocked those memories, she realized. She had forgotten because memories of him ripped her apart. He wasn't coming back. He didn't want her, and he never would.

Then she felt arms wrap around her shoulders, and she recognized the hand that wiped a tear from her face and moved to pet her hair. "I haven't woken up yet, have I?" she asked, miserable and doubting.

"No, my dear, you are awake." Rayne could hear the smirk in his voice.

"I had no idea that hallucinations felt so real, then." She couldn't think of any other explanation. He wasn't real, he couldn't be.

"I'm offended. I go through all that trouble, and you have the audacity to think I'm fake." He chuckled.

"You can't be real," she sniffled. "You aren't coming back."

"I _am _back. I'm right here, and I'll never have to leave you again." He said. He then kissed her forehead, getting off the bed and laying her down, pulling the covers up to her shoulders. As he turned to leave, she reached out and grabbed his hand, a silent request for him to stay.

And stay he did.


End file.
